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Beauty School is in Session:

The ABC’s of Healthy Skin with VMV Hypoallergenics

There is just something about Fall that makes us want to hit Refresh. While we might not be heading back to the classroom, Fall is the perfect time to get back to beauty basics to ensure an A+ complexion. Here the experts at VMV Hypoallergenics, the gold standard in hypoallergenicity, provide skin care A-B-C’s to keep in mind for healthy, radiant skin all year-long.

Apply sunscreen daily. While this may seem like a no brainer, applying SPF even when beach days are over  is a must. Exposure to harmful UVA and UVB rays is a daily reality – outdoors from sun exposure (yes, even during those cool days) and indoors from the UV rays leaked by compact fluorescent lights and omnipresent computer screens. Wear at least SPF 30 daily, regardless of the season. Look for a sunscreen that protects against UVA and UVB rays. For added protection, dust powder that contains SPF, such as the Illuminants Brilliant Finish 25 Powder Foundation over sunscreen. This brightening, protective powder-foundation works as an SPF 25 physical barrier while masking hyperpigmentations and other imperfections.

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Beauty Lesson: Sunscreen, never leave home without it.

Brush cleaning. Fact: It’s easier to prevent blemishes than to treat them, and if you’re not cleaning your brushes regularly, treatments won’t completely prevent flare-ups. Keep skin clear by washing brushes often. Go one step further in the quest for a clear complexion, by choosing brushes with anti-microbial properties. Look for synthetic bristles as they accumulate less bacteria than natural, animal-hair bristles. Try the VMV Hypoallergenics Skintelligent Beauty Brushes ($15-$32). Available in 8 styles, these luxe bamboo-handled brushes feature soft, synthetic bristles for gentle, yet professional application. Beauty Lesson: Dirty makeup brushes and applicators can spread bacteria (leading to infection, acne and irritation), therefore mitigating the steps you are taking to keep skin glowing. Wash brushes often!

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Cleanse according to skin type. There’s no doubt that cleansing is a key element in any skin care routine but for best results, opt for cleanser specific to your skin type. VMV has a full line of specialized cleansers – ranging from acne-prone to anti-aging. However, all skin types should always opt for pH-neutral cream cleansers and avoid over cleansing; twice a day is really all you need.

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Beauty Lesson: Cleansing is the first step of a skin care regimen. Make the most of it by using skin-concern-specific creamy cleansers.

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Last summer I discovered the Dole Fruit Smoothie Shakers. It was LOVE….. at first sip.

The Fruit Smoothies come in 4 flavors: Strawberry, Strawberry Banana, Mixed Berry & Peach Mango. Each one is delicious when mixed with either pineapple, apple or orange juice.

A few weeks ago while food shopping, I came across a new smoothie from Dole – Nutrition Plus Fruit & Veggie Shakers Power Smoothies.

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These shakers are made with all natural fruit, veggies, real Greek yogurt and popular boosts. They are a fun way to add healthy fruit and veggies to your diet.

Yellow Power – Pineapple Mango with Sweet Potato & Carrot

Blue Power – Blueberry Banana with Red Beet

Red Power – Strawberry Raspberry with Red Beet & Purple Carrot

I’ve only been able to find two of these flavors but I am on the hunt to find the Blue Power as well.

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Each serving when prepared with juice is under 200 calories, low in fat and trans fat-free. They contain Pre & Probiotics (live and active cultures), 100% DV of vitamin C, are a good source of vitamins A & E and are nutritionally fortified with an extra boost of protein. The best part? Tastes like fruit, not veggies!

I was a little nervous to try these out because I’m not big on vegetables but they taste great and are an excellent way to make sure you get some extra veggies in during your day.

Go out & pick one up! 🙂

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It’s no secret that I’m obsessed with this years Resort Collection by Essie. I particularly loveee Find Me An Oasis. For the event I attended  Saturday night my nails looked extra chic in this beautiful color and it accented my sheer leopard print cardigan perfectly.

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In my #VivaVoxBox I scored 2 gorgeous nail shades from Pure Ice Cosmetics & I put them to the test for this weeks manicure.

Main Polish: Pure Ice  Nail Polish in Afterhours

Accent Polish: Pure Ice Nail Polish in It’s Complicated

I started off with my base coat & followed it up with 2 coats of Afterhours. I then applied 2 coats of It’s Complicated towards the base of my nail.

Nails

What do you think about the colors?

This was my first time using the Pure Ice polishes and OMG – I’m in love! The brush was perfect and the formula of the polishes was excellent. Afterhours went on smooth and the color packs a big punch! One coat would have sufficed but I always do 2 coats so it was just routine. I’m really looking forward to trying out other shades in the collection.

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When I first heard of Spaghetti Squash – I just didn’t get it! I didn’t even know if I liked Squash but the thought of using a vegetable (some would argue that it’s technically a fruit) as a pasta substitute baffled me. Could anything be as delicious as regular, carb filled pasta??

I decided to give it a try & this is how it turned out:

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Not only does it look amazing but it taste DELICIOUS! I was really surprised by the texture and I plan to start incorporating Spaghetti Squash into my weekly dinners more often. Anytime I work with recipes I find online, I always substitute ingredients & put my own spin on it so here is the recipe I used to make my Spaghetti Squash with Shrimp.

What You Need:

sharp knife

cutting board

baking sheet or roasting pan

1 fork & spoon

small bowl

pastry brush (optional)

Ingredients:

Spaghetti Squash – I used a 2lb squash, but adjust size to the amount of servings you want.

Olive Oil

Sea Salt

Black Pepper

Butter

Garlic

Herb of your choice (rosemary, basil, thyme etc.) – I used a little ground Italian seasoning

Shrimp

Instructions:

1. Cut your squash in half lengthwise. Be very careful and go slow as it is not easy to slice.

2. Scoop out & discard the seeds. (If you would like to keep the seeds to roast them click HERE)

3. Preheat your oven to 375 °F. Take your olive oil, sea salt, black pepper & herbs and mix them together in a bowl. Using a pastry brush or spoon, brush both sides (top & bottom) of your squash generously and place them on your baking sheet with the opening facing down.

4. Bake for 40 minutes – if you have a larger squash, you might want to bake for an additional 5-10 minutes. When I removed the squash, my top was browned.

5. Remove squash from the oven and allow it to cool for about 5 minutes. Take your fork & go around your squash separating the skin, you will instantly start to see your string noodles. Then just scrape the center the same way and place in a small bowl. Use your fork or your fingers to separate any pieces that do not appear “stringy.”

*Taste the noodles. Feel free to skip the remaining steps if you are satisfied with the taste & do not want to add extra calories with the butter or add shrimp. The taste of the spaghetti with the mixture of the olive oil with salt, pepper & herbs is delicious as is.

6. Heat a pan with garlic and butter – use as much or as little as you would like. Toss in the spaghetti squash and mix for about 2 minutes so it soaks up the butter and garlic then plate.

7. These particular shrimp were already cooked so I just let them sit in room temp water and after I removed the spaghetti squash from the pan, I threw the shrimp in to catch some of the butter & garlic flavor and topped them on to the spaghetti.

Here are the steps with pictures I took while cooking:

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I was surprised at what an easy meal this turned out to be. Next week I will be trying it with a meat sauce but there are endless amounts of possibilities when cooking with Spaghetti Squash. Here are a few other recipes that caught my eye.

Spicy Roasted Tomato Marinara with Spaghetti Squash

Spaghetti Squash & Meatballs

Spaghetti Squash Tostados